12:30 PM
by pisces822
Summary: Sinful question number one: Are you happy? Sinful question number two: Miss me? Sinful question number three: love me?
1. Chapter 1

**12:30 AM**

A sudden movement caught the corner of her eye, and she looked up to see…

Their eyes interlocked, and she really did try, but it took three times until her eyes dragged away from his.

She fiddled her fingers together and stared for a time at her lap before she turned her head back towards him only to stop, so her head was slightly angled towards him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

"You… you forgot this."

Sakura battled with herself internally until she finally looked up to see her watch in his hand: thin, long pink leather strips with a monologue clock, the hour and minute hands studded with tiny crystals.

Her eyes snapped up to meet the dark eyes that caught hers. Her breath subtly caught within her as she realized she was trapped again, within his powerful, locking gaze.

"…I didn't… I've got one," she finally spoke, tugging the beige sleeve of her coat upwards to reveal her black one.

Her eyes lingered upon her watch on her wrist as silence elapsed between the two of them.

After a while, she realized he wasn't going to talk. _Of course._ She let go of her sleeve which slowly slid back to place as she swallowed, taking in a silent breath of air.

"Sasuke Uchiha, what do you want?"

He wanted bluntness, and so be it.

The one request she will allow, as long as it meant he would leave soon.

He didn't answer directly; instead, he walked around the bench, coming to stand next to her.

"May I sit?" he inquired.

Sakura froze, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. _Bastard._ "Yes," she clipped shortly.

He sat down, the soft fabric of his pants pressed against her legs. She was wearing white stockings, but the heat between them was inevitable.

Her eyes widened, and without turning her head to meet his look, she spoke icily, "Please leave some space, Sasuke-san."

She could feel his burning gaze, but she ignored it, staring straight ahead at the giant, illuminating sign ahead of her, labeled: Boarding Flight, 13A.

"Sasuke-san…" she started tensely, but before she finished, he acquiesced to her demand, moving away an inch.

Sakura gritted her teeth. She crossed her left leg over her right, away from him. Anything to be further away from him.

Once again, silence settled in between the two of them, but this time she did not have to worry about him speaking, because the next minute, she found herself gasping as his whole upper body bent over hers, his overwhelming presence surging around her. She shrank subconsciously as his hands went over her shoulders to grip the bench's arm behind her.

Her widened eyes met his navy striped tie, and slowly, almost reluctantly, it traveled up until it hit his chin. Her eyes paused there, but a cold hand gripped her chin, pushing it up until her large green eyes caught his.

"Am I intimidating you?" his low voice queried slyly, dangerously.

Sakura's eyes narrowed against his. "I…"

_His eyes_.

Once she looked eyes with him, it was impossible to escape. He stared into her soul, her bare soul which she revealed without flinching. Despite everything, she was bare whenever he caught eyes with her. She could not hide from him.

Her hands came up to press against his shoulders.

"Sasuke-san…"

"What?" he cut in sharply, his eyes narrowed and eyebrows knitted tightly together.

"Sasuke…" she trembled, leaving the honorary out because she knew, he did not like it, "What do you want?"

His eyes searched hers for awhile until finally, he replied, not only in a form of a question rather than a statement but also in the brevity of one word: "Why?"

In the next second, Sakura had pushed all her weight into her hands as she attempted to topple him, but his arms instead came to encircle her closer than before.

"You want me to be frank, but what about you?" Sakura snapped. "Why what? Stop avoiding the point! I'm not a freaking genius; I'm not a mind reader even though I _know_ you! Just… tell me, for the sake of time and possibly mine, what in the world do you want?!"

She was breathing slightly by the end of her small rage, and Sasuke took in the small marvel of her flushed pink cheeks which complimented her pale face.

She was right, of course; and this time, he agreed to go by her favor.

"Why are you leaving?" He did not insert the [me] behind the four sinful words, but she would have gotten the implication. She was a smart girl. Not as smart as him, but regardless.

Sakura froze, all her strength leaving her hands until it was just pressed faintly against his white collar long sleeve. She removed her hands from him, looking away only catch a glimpse of his arm, tense next to her, still gripping the bench arm behind her.

"…Because I've got a job, a very good offer in America," she stated, a generic memorized line she had planted in her head for whoever wanted to hear. Of course, he wasn't _everyone_, and this was a useless smoke screen that he wouldn't accept.

Indeed, his eyes did narrow quite dangerously at her and his head leaned closer towards her, his dark hair hanging around her, snatches of hair covering the airport around her. Well, even if his hair wasn't in the way, she wouldn't be looking at her surroundings, simply because she would be looking at _him_.

But she wanted him to ask it. She wanted him to prove to her he did **care**.

Even if he did wait till literally the last minute, as she is waiting to board her plane, to ask her.

She looked at him, her eyes silently willing him to.

But he didn't.

Instead, he removed his hands from the bench's arm, and he withdrew, back into sitting position, this time leaving more than just an inch between them.

Sakura sat up and gulped down a silent air of disappointment. She resumed her previous staring at the sign, the sign that was the beginning footmark of a whole new chapter of her life.

Her head tipped down towards her lap as seconds tipped by.

It was tense now, a block of frigidness wedged between them, the third being sitting invisibly on the bench with them.

They did not speak.

-

"Attention boarders for plane 13A, destined for New York City on December 12. The plane will be boarding in ten minutes. Please have your ticket and belongings ready to go."

The message was repeated twice, as people around Sakura started to arouse from their seat and belongings started to rustle.

Sakura stiffly turned to pick up her soft pink bag from the floor. She rustled through it for her phone, which as she opened, read 12:17 PM. She nestled the bag on her lap and slid a hand into the front pocket of her snug coat, her fingers finding the objects she sought.

She tugged them out.

Her ticket and passport.

Next to her, she felt him tense. She tensed up as well.

"Are you afraid?"

The question popped, floating into the air as Sakura grabbed at it, fleetingly, before she answered, "Yes."

"But… I am also …," there were a million words Sakura could use to describe it, but as her mind circled trying to pluck the one word she could use, she finally settled on the most basic, simplistic word that she felt described the essence the most, "…excited." She could not hide the dreamy happiness in her voice as the insides of her tickled, her mind leaving the shiny, noisy airport and transporting her into blank white rooms of a hospital, into the loud city denseness, cars, buses zooming around her.

She did not realize her eyes had closed, until his following response shook her awake.

"That's… good."

Sakura turned her head slowly to meet his face, a small genuine smile tugging at her lips.

"Yeah," she murmured softly.

Rather than reply, the both of them ended up staring into each other's faces, Sakura's emerald eyes gently searching Sasuke's onyx eyes. This time, it was a comfortable silence.

"Attention boarders for plane 13A, destined for New York City on December 12. The plane will be boarding in five minutes. Please have your ticket and belongings ready to go."

Once again, it was repeated.

Sakura searched her mind for anything, anything she could say to Sasuke. There were so many things that were missing, so many holes between the two of them that she often wished they had fixed, but time was of essence, and none of them were dealt with. She hadn't expected him to show up at the airport tonight (and at such time too, midnight), much less acknowledged her feelings for this decision, and it made her insides twinge with burning questions she had often wanted to ask him during the last aching months revolving the offer and her decision.

But… this is it. She is leaving. Leaving behind Japan, leaving behind her life -the routine, the environment, the friends, the childhood place she grew up in. Leaving behind Sasuke.

And there are no turning backs, no regrets. She had warned herself, she had told herself the consequences of leaving, and she had accepted them. There is no time, no allowance for her mind to slip.

"Sasuke, thank you for coming here tonight." She met his eyes again and for some reason, something started to prick.

"No problem."

"I…"

"Attention boarders for plane 13A, destined for New York City on December 12. The plane will be boarding. Please come up with your ticket and belongings. It is currently 12:30 PM, December 11."

"Attention boarders for plane 13A, destined for New York City on December 12. The plane will be boarding. Please come up with your ticket and belongings. It is currently 12:30 PM, December 11."

Sakura found herself standing up, clutching her bag to her.

She turned to find Sasuke again and found he had stood up as well, coming to stand very close to her, his neck at her eye level and his smell coming to wrap around her. She gulped, taking a quick step back but then forward again.

"Attention boarders for plane 13A, destined for New York City on December 12. The plane will be boarding. Please come up with your ticket and belongings. It is currently 12:30 PM, December 11."

"You…" Sasuke started, his eyes telling her to finish the sentence.

"I…"

People started to move around them, children clutched in hand, food wrappers thrown into trash, straightening of rumpled jackets and suits.

"I have to go," Sakura finished, turning away just as she felt the wetness in her eyes.

She was going at a good speed and with determination, too, but-

"Sakura."

Sakura, not Haruno, not Sakura-chan. Just Sakura.

She turned around. They were feet apart, people surging between them. Like a river, cutting between two banks that will never be together.

He was in his usual posture: back slack, slightly drooping, his hands dug deep in his pockets. He was wearing black slacks with a white collar long sleeve, a tie around his neck. He was dressed for the occasion.

The time to say good-bye, so whenever she thought of him, she saw him dressed nicely and handsomely in his slacks and collar tie, the gentlemen that covered up the many flaws of the raw person Sasuke was.

"Are you happy?" he asked softly, but there might as well not be the space between them, because she heard his words, loudly and distinctly, as though he was whispering right into her ears.

She nodded, his image swimming in front her.

He asked a second question. "Miss me?"

Her throat thickened, as her eyes traced his face, over and over again, memorizing them: his noble nose, his jaw, his forehead. His _eyes_.

She nodded slightly.

They shared a heated look then, and Sakura suddenly knew Sasuke could see the tears. Which, unfortunately, increased the wetness, and it was harder now to keep them in.

His last question was at the tip of his tongue, and she knew even before he asked.

"Love me?"

He whispered it.

She heard it.

But she never got the chance to answer it.

At that time, the announcer went out for the last time. A surge of people came between them, blocking both of their views.

And the moment it happened, both of them turned away.

Either they both knew the answer, or they both did not want to know.

-

_Damnit, Sasuke! _

Sakura ran, tears now freely dripping down her face.

-

_Damnit, Sakura. _

Sasuke strode away, hands deep in pocket, glower visible on face.

-

"Are you alright?"

Sakura nodded, wiping her face as she awaited the lady to return her ticket.

"Have a nice flight."

Sakura nodded.

-

"Good bye, sir."

Sasuke ignored the driver who had transported him from the airport to his car.

He left a $100 tip.

At this point, he didn't give a fuck.

-----

**A/N**: um yeah. so this was a brief image I had, and once I started typing, it all just came out. Bad timing though; I'm resuming school tomorrow, and I'm gonna have such a great time waking up early in the morning… ch, slap me.

Incidentally, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but I think it might be two chapters. I'll see what I can do.

It would be **great** if you could review!!!!

P.S who FELT the earthquake?

*Raises hand* I DID! But at my place, it was like a gentle rocking so I was actually enjoying it LOL


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Big shout out and a cookie for all readers, especially **glitz0101, SasoLOVE111, tsuchiya-sama, xprezurself, cherryblossomdream, Broadway-Naruto-Girl, **and **a l i c e X3 in wonderland **for their thoughtful reviews!

And here is Part 2!

**12:30 AM**

2.

He is arrogant.

That was the first conclusion she came to upon her first encounter with the Uchiha.

"_Good-bye, Haruno."_

"_You too, Kurenai-san," Sakura chirped to her Literature Professor. 'I'm gonna be late,' she thought, glancing at her watch as she raced out the door, nearly slamming over…_

_Dark oblique eyes stared into hers._

_The prettiest eyes she's ever seen on a man._

_She tripped over the strap of her bag. _

_He smirked, holding a hand out for her. _

_She ignored it. _

"_I'm fine, thank you."_

Sakura leaned into her seat, closing her eyes as the early morning stated to pull its heavy toll on her.

Her eyelids fluttered, once

-twice.

She shut her eyes.

_The falling sun outlined the murky haze of the figure's outline._

_He was leaning forward, his knees bent, elbows tucked against his sides._

_Whoosh._

_The rattling sound of wheels rolled all the way down the stairs._

_At the bottom, he jumped._

_His body twisted up in the air._

_The skateboard landed with a heavy, comforting thud._

_He lifted his right hand up to his lips, where a small white stick was inserted between his thumb and index finger._

_He breathed in,_

_Out._

_Translucent smoke curled and blended into the atmosphere._

_As a straight-A-teacher-pet-goody-good-two-shoes, she should've run._

_But she didn't._

On their one-month anniversary, he presented her a small, white box with a large satin bow.

You shouldn't have, she gushed, her eyes wide and locked on his hands held out in front of her.

Just take it, he growled. I wasted two hundred friggin' dollars on this.

She studied his face for a while.

Okay, she decided.

She took it from his hands then.

And planted a soft kiss on his lips.

Thank you Sasuke-kun, she murmured against the lips.

_It was becoming a daily habit. She didn't decide whether or not it was a bad habit yet, and god knows how many of those she already had._

_It was better than TV or computer or music or sweets or taking long, hot baths._

_In fact, she looked forward to it more than anything else._

_She leaned forward, resting her chin onto her knees, as her eyes traveled every moment._

_He was gliding down-faster and faster, his hair blown back by the wind. He took a leap, and the skateboard followed his feet dutifully._

_He landed, swerving his skateboard into a circle._

_He threw his head back, reaching down to pluck his water bottle and drowning himself with water._

_She closed her eyes briefly, taking in the full shape of him as the sun outlined his body in gold rays._

_She opened her eyes again, watching as he was off again, body standing alert, hands hanging by his sides._

_When she first saw him, she didn't run away in fear._

_She didn't because she couldn't._

He ordered spaghetti on their first date out.

On their second date, it was rainy, and they had hot vegetable soup. He cooked it.

On their third date, they had a fresh garden salad with lemonade.

On their fourth day, it was decided Sakura should prepare something.

Sasuke-kun, I made you a sandwich!

What's in it?

Mm…cheese, turkey, and lettuce!

I don't want it.

You don't…?

No.

Oh. Ok.

They ordered In-n-Out burgers instead.

The point was, Sasuke liked tomatoes.

He made sure Sakura knew.

It was something she had to figure out on her own.

_Something within her sparked every time he scaled down stairs,_

_Every time he took a jump,_

_Every time he landed,_

_Every time he took a deadly inhale from his joint._

_There was an aura of freedom about him, some sort of wild, pure, humanness she saw in him._

There were many things she had to figure out on her own.

He did not talk much, whereas, she talked with no spare on words. Words dripped and spilled from her mouth like rain.

But in the end, it was the same: they both knew each other more than each knew oneself.

_He caught her._

_Her cell phone was accidentally on, and melodic lyrics to Stay Around flowed through the air._

_**Stay around, my love**_

_**Because your heart is my sky**_

_**And when you're gone**_

_**I look up,**_

_**And I can no longer see the stars**_

_The comforting, ugly sound of wheels stopped._

_She ducked, holding her arms out over her head as her heart skipped within her ribcage._

_The wheels started once again, slowly, dangerously._

_Her breath came out in gasps now as her right eye caught a dark red wheel in front of her, turning slowly to the right, left, right, left._

_He did not speak._

_Her arms were killing her._

_She looked up slowly._

_Coal eyes burned into her._

_After a moment, as if coming to a conclusion, his thin lips spread into a wide, lazy smirk._

_Like prey to predator, she was frozen- unable to move, unable to react._

It was gorgeous.

A small face with two hands, dotted with miniature crystals. Thin pink leather straps emerged from the sides. At the end of one strap, it was initialed _SU._

You got me a watch? She gasped.

This… this really…expensive…watch, she gasped again. This wasn't two hundred, was it? _Two… two thousand?_

She looked up horrified. Why?

He scowled, turning away.

Because your watch is broken, that's why, he spat.

Sakura looked down at the watch on her hand. The one her mother had given her. It ticked, second by second.

She took it off and slipped it in her pocket.

Sasuke… can you help me? She fumbled with the clasp.

He turned back around, eyebrows furrowed. You can't even put on a watch? He questioned angrily.

She nodded. Please, Sasuke?

With a final sigh, he took the white box from her lap and set it besides him.

Hold still, he said.

Of course.

_What's your name bitch?_

_Sakura Haruno._

_Sakura Haruno, eh?_

_Yes. That's my name._

_He stopped rolling his skateboard. His eyes narrowed._

There were some things she figured out that she didn't like.

Like before he met her, he used to hook up with girls every night.

He had fan girls.

In his perspective, he didn't waste any of his "resources".

_Can you teach me?_

_Teach you…_

_How to skateboard._

_You might die._

_I don't mind._

_'I want to taste the freedom I feel whenever I watch you'_

Or the fact that his brother was a mass-murderer.

It doesn't bother me, he shrugged when she questioned him.

My brother's a mass-murderer, his brother is a rapist, her sister is a drug dealer, and your mom is God. It's all fair, he said nonchalantly.

But she knew him better than that.

_She cried. Blood was on her elbows. Her knees were scraped._

_Yes! She did her first jump._

_She cried with success._

_He kissed her then._

_You know what? He told her. I really should…_

_She waited patiently._

_I really should kill you._

For what? She asked sweetly.

For taking my heart.

His eyes met hers.

Black coal and emerald.

Her eyes spill everything. They reflect all her emotions and thoughts.

One glance, and she's a goner.

With him, it's unreadable- one intense, cold stare that seemed to strip her to her core.

It took her three months to figure the last part out.

Every time she came over to his house,

His parents were out.

They were at work.

Sasuke's grandma was sick, so they were at her home taking care of her.

Why don't they call you, she asked.

I'm a big boy, he replied.

Then one day, she decided to read the news.

The headline read: **Criminal Itachi Uchiha Arises with New, Threatening Gang… **

It continued: Last night, the gang went on their nightly rounds. This time, they've slaughtered five innocent, one more person dead each night. Itachi is no amateur. It has been recently discovered he is the guilty thief of his parents' lives…

Sasuke.

Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke! She screamed.

Why didn't you tell me?

It was not important.

Stop lying! Why didn't you tell me?

Sasuke!

Sasuke, answer me!

He regarded her flatly. Haruno, it's none of your business.

The last name hurt.

She was _Sakura, _damnit!

Sasuke! She growled, grabbing the front of his shirt in her hands. Why didn't you tell me? Are you living alone? How come you didn't tell anyone?

Stop, he yelled then, pushing her off.

She rushed at him again. Sasuke! You could be in danger! Your brother killed your parents… who knows if he'll come tomorrow night to slaughter you in your sleep?

SHUT UP! He yelled. SHUT THE FUCK UP!

She was crying. Sasuke, I think… I think… you're being ridiculous.

I don't care what you think.

…what?

I DON'T CARE A DAMN WHAT YOU THINK.

Her gaze hardened. Am I not your girlfriend?

He was seething, his chest pounding up and down.

Finally, he turned.

_Go away. I've never wanted you in the first place. Go away, and stay OUT. _

_Dear Ms. Sakura Haruno,_

_We are glad to inform you we have decided the hospital will require your help…_

I'm leaving to America. I'm going to work in NY Hospital. It's a very good offer, and it will sustain me for a good standard of living. I will be able to help people to the best of my abilities. It's my life-dream.

That's the essence of what she told her friends.

She didn't tell him though.

**Stay around, my love**

**Because your heart is my sky**

**And when you're gone**

**I look up,**

**And I can no longer see the stars**

She was awakened by her phone.

Her eyes opened to meet the soft light of the airplane.

She blinked as her ringtone set off again.

She dug into her purse.

"Hello?" she murmured.

There was no response, and after a minute, the line went dead.

She closed her phone.

It happened again.

And again.

She checked the number, but it was always unidentified.

_She gave him a wallet. _

_A wallet with her initials carved in the middle. _

_He used it, but he never thanked her. _

_She gave him a belt. He was always tugging his black pants upwards. _

_She figured that was what he needed._

_He used it, but he didn't thank her._

_She bought him the same black pants in a smaller size. She had to go through ten stores and finally ended up driving two hours to find the exact pants. _

_He didn't thank her. _

_She bought a new sofa, a large, black (that was his favorite color) love seat the two of them could share. _

_He didn't thank her._

_But when she climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him,_

_He closed his eyes and smiled. _

_She gave him a hug. _

_He returned it. _

_Her head leaned in close to his; her breath tickled his chin. _

_She kissed him,_

_And he returned it. _

_Thank you, he finally said. _

When her phone rang for the sixteenth time, she finally understood.

She snapped her phone open and leaned it against her ear.

A tear slid down her chin.

"I love you,"

She whispered.

His smooth, velvet voice followed mutely.

"_Thank you."_

**A/N: **so I dedicated time on Tuesday and Wednesday night writing this chapter and today afternoon on impulse I just decided to write and it came out like this. Maybe I shouldn't plan to write anymore…. I'm realizing I tend to write better when it's _spontaneous. _

Please review!

And _yes_, this is supposed to be a happy ending. Her three words are all that matters :)


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